Sangakkara does it again
The one day international match played between India and Sri Lanka at Dambulla on 16th August 2010, will be remembered for many years more for the controversy it generated in denying Sehwag a well deserved hundred than for India winning the match.
However if one were to look from a different view it would be unfair to blame Randiv for the no ball and as Sangakkara has said that he knows Randiv well as a good guy and would not have done it on purpose. Sangakkara is absolutely right in defending Randiv because in all likelihood it was Sangakkara who instructed the inexperienced and probably innocent Randiv to bowl the no ball to deny Sehwag his century. As Sehwag has pointed out it was intentional on Sri Lankas part as they had denied SachinTendulkar a century in a one day match at Cuttack.
At cuttack on 21st December 2009 India chasing 240 for a victory lead by Tendulkar's brilliant 96 were coasting towards victory having scored 238 for 3 in just 42.3 overs. Indians needed a mere 2 runs from 7.3 overs for a victory with 7 wickets in hand while master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was only a boundary hit away from a Sachin. Lasith Malinga probably under instructions from skipper Sangakkara delivered the ball so wide of batsman Dinesh Karthik that it went for 5 wides denying Sachin the opportunity to hit boundary that would get him on to his century. In the Test Series prior to the one day series just a month before on 20th November 2009 in a Test Match at Ahmedabad Sangakkara offered to call of the Test Match with Sachin on 87. However Sangakkara's effort proved futile as Dhoni allowed Sachin to carry till he reached his century.
If one were to go by the two incidents which preceded the intentional no big ball which is surprising as spinners are not supposed to bowl no balls leave alone a big no ball, it seems to be crystal clear that the big no ball was not a coincidence considering Sangakkara's poor sportsmanship levels in the past and he delivered it on purpose merely to deny Sehwag a century. Sangakkara comments earlier in the Test Series that India did not deserve to be number one team in the world only makes the case stronger against Sangakkara. It was even said in news reports that Sourav Ganguly too had a similar experience against the Sri Lankans.
What would have baffled many is the fact that when there are various legitimate ways of denying a batsman a century then why did he go for a noball. Sangakkara could have opted to keep Sehwag off strike so that an irritated Sehwag may lose his cool or throw away his wicket. Sangakkara also had the option of having too many close in fielders to unnerve Sehwag or he could have instructed to get Sehwag stumped of a wide. Sangakkara could also have tried other options like making a non regular bowler like Jaywardene bowl to Sehwag and hope that he gets out to him.
For long Australians and South Africans were infamous for resorting to unfair tactics but Sangakkara has clearly gone ahead of them if one were to go by the recent incidents with yesterdays one being the latest. While Sangakkara for long was known for being an outstanding batsman he may well go down in history books as an unsporting captain.
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